Workers of Ghana’s premier refinery, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), are lacing their boots for massive protests against the management of the refinery and the government for failing to ensure the availability of crude oil for the refinery to process.
At a meeting organised by Petroleum Workers Union, the workers resolved among other things that they would no longer stay quiet for the refinery to rot and, thus, would do everything possible to ensure that the refinery started operations.
According to them, they cannot continue to sit idle when the reason for being in the refinery is to work.
“Let’s send a strong message to the board. We are ready to work. Let’s put on a red armband to warn them. We will follow up with mass action,” one of the staff said.
Present at the meeting was the National Chairman of the General Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, Mr. Bernard Owusu.
Addressing the workers, Mr. Owusu said it is baffling that the government is mobilising gold for refined petroleum products but cannot make similar arrangements for crude oil for TOR to refine.
“Some of us find it difficult to understand why the government is doing gold for the oil programme and going for finished products. Why can’t we do the same for TOR?” he quizzed.
Mr. Owusu, who responded to several pressing issues by the workers, assured the leadership of the union that their leadership is not resting and would do everything possible to ensure that TOR restarts operations.
Some of the workers also called on the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to ensure that government revamps TOR.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
